In the immediate vicinity of three hospitals, the wailing of the ambulance sirens is the background music for our daily work in the Cooperation Office in the Republic of Moldova. Located right in the centre on the boulevard “Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt”, it is only a stone's throw from my place of work to the Moldovan Ministry of Education, the Austrian Embassy and one of our national and international cooperation partners. That is what characterises working in the Republic of Moldova – proximity. Proximity to the institutions, the schools and, above all, the people.
Moldova – is that a country and if so, where is it located?
Mind you, I wasn't quite sure about that myself when I started my job in Chisinau in 2018. However, the white spot on the map was quickly filled with colour. The Republic of Moldova, a tranquil stretch of land between Romania and Ukraine, is historically characterised by agriculture, especially wine-growing. And so the first project of our cooperation office, which has been in place in the Republic of Moldova since 2003, was also a viticulture project. Until 2014 Moldovan viticulture schools were supported in the cultivation of historical wine varieties and the production and marketing of their own wines. The income generated from this was used for school development. From the viticulture project arose a broad programme to support vocational education and training institutions in generating income for school development.
Further projects for the introduction of training firms in vocational education and training, strengthening of school management and a big inclusion project were and are successfully implemented in cooperation with the Moldovan Ministry of Education. The aim has always been to support the Moldovan school system through Austrian expertise and institutional cooperation. Schools all over the country know and appreciate the OeAD’s activities. And if anyone is ever unsure which institution it is, clarification is quickly provided: “You know, they're the ones with the wine!” The ones with the wine. In a country where wine is held in such high esteem there can hardly be a greater compliment.
And so, somehow, in the Republic of Moldova we all know each other a little bit. If the world is a village, Moldova is a one-room flat. That brings us back to proximity. A closeness that creates a bond and the feeling of working together towards the goal of a better education system. And so the motto of our inclusion project has been “Împreună învățăm, împreună trăim – Together we learn, together we live” for several years.
On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) the OeAD maintains and supports a network of cooperation offices managed by Austrian educational coordinators in Eastern European and South-Eastern European partner countries. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and the OeAD they promote and support exchange and cooperation between educational institutions in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Austria.
Further information: oead.at/educoop
Author: Elisa Deutschmann, Educational Coordinator at the OeAD Cooperation Office Moldova